Life of Pi

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What were the two academic majors Pi Patel completed at the University of Toronto?

Religious studies and zoology.

Pi Patel's fourth-year religious studies thesis focused on the cosmogony theory of which sixteenth-century Kabbalist?

Isaac Luria.

What was the specific subject of Pi Patel's zoology thesis?

A functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.

Why did Pi Patel find the three-toed sloth's demeanor particularly soothing?

Its calm, quiet, and introspective nature helped his 'shattered self' after his ordeal.

According to Pi's zoological observations, what is the average amount of time a three-toed sloth spends sleeping or resting per day?

Twenty hours.

How does the three-toed sloth's fur help it avoid detection by predators like jaguars and harpy eagles?

It shelters algae that turns green in the wet season, camouflaging the animal within the foliage.

Which goddess of wealth does Pi hope will one day favor him so he can visit Oxford?

Lakshmi.

Pi mentions five cities he would like to visit before passing on; name them in his order of priority.

Mecca, Varanasi, Jerusalem, Paris, and Oxford.

What does Pi compare a necktie to, suggesting the dangers of a conventional working life?

A noose.

Who is the 'dazzling hero' of Pi's childhood and his older brother?

Ravi Patel.

What was the physical consequence of the doctor swinging Francis Adirubasamy (Mamaji) by his feet at birth, according to Ravi?

It forced all his flesh and blood to his upper body, resulting in a thick chest and skinny legs.

At which location in Pondicherry did Mamaji swim thirty lengths every morning?

The pool of the Aurobindo Ashram.

What specific 'gift' did Mamaji present to Pi when Pi reached the age of seven?

The gift of swimming (swimming lessons at the beach).

Which Parisian swimming pool did Mamaji describe as the 'crowning aquatic glory of the entire civilized world'?

Piscine Molitor.

What was Santosh Patel's business before entering the zoo industry?

He ran a hotel in Madras.

Why does Pi argue that running a zoo is a 'hotelkeeper’s worst nightmare'?

Guests (animals) never leave, expect full board, are unhygienic, and never tip.

According to Pi, what is the common misconception people have about animals in the wild?

That they are 'happy' because they are 'free,' when they actually live lives of compulsion and fear.

What is the 'key to the minds' of animals that allows them to thrive in zoo enclosures?

Territoriality.

In zookeeping terms, what is the 'flight distance' of an animal?

The minimum distance an animal wants to keep between itself and a perceived enemy.

How did Pi change his name at Petit Seminaire to escape the nickname 'Pissing'?

He wrote his name on the blackboard and underlined 'Pi,' adding the mathematical constant $\pi \approx 3.14$.

Describe the physical 'geometric' appearance of Pi's biology teacher, Mr. Satish Kumar.

He looked like two triangles (a small head and a large stomach) balanced on two parallel lines (his legs).

What political ideology did Mr. Satish Kumar, the biology teacher, support?

Communism.

Mr. Satish Kumar, the biology teacher, describes the zoo as his _____.

Temple.

What illness did Mr. Satish Kumar survive as a child that led to his atheism?

Polio.

Why does Pi claim that he finds agnostics more frustrating than atheists?

Atheists have faith in reason, but agnostics choose doubt as a philosophy, which is like choosing 'immobility as a means of transportation.'

According to Pi, what is the most dangerous animal in a zoo?

Man (or the human tendency to anthropomorphize animals).

What was the purpose of Santosh Patel feeding a live goat to the tiger Mahisha in front of his sons?

To teach them a 'life-saving' lesson about the true, dangerous nature of wild animals.

How long was Mahisha, the Bengal tiger, starved before the demonstration for Ravi and Pi?

Three days.

Which animal does Santosh Patel describe as 'the most dangerous animal of all' in a zoo setting?

Man.

What is 'Animalus anthropomorphicus' as defined by Santosh Patel?

The flawed human tendency to see animals as cute, friendly, or devoted instead of as wild creatures.

What was the name of the female black leopard that escaped the Zurich Zoo in 1933 and survived ten weeks in the Swiss winter?

She is not given a name, but she was a black leopard.

In a circus ring, why must the trainer always enter the ring before the lions?

To establish the ring as the trainer's territory, making him the 'super-alpha.'

Which social rank of lion is typically the most amenable to a circus trainer's tricks?

The omega animal (the one with the lowest social standing).

Which Hindu god is known as the lord overcomer of obstacles and the god of wisdom?

Ganesha.

What is the Hindu concept of 'Brahman' as explained by Pi?

The world soul or the sustaining frame of the universe.

In Hinduism, what is the relationship between 'Brahman' and 'atman'?

They are the same; the individual soul (atman) is part of the world soul (Brahman).

What is the 'Bank of Karma' in Pi's description of the spiritual journey?

The account where liberation is credited or debited based on one's actions across lives.

Which town in Kerala did Pi visit with his family when he first 'met Jesus Christ'?

Munnar.

What was Pi's initial impression of the Christian God's story as told by Father Martin?

He found it 'downright weird' and 'psychologically peculiar' that a god would allow himself to be humiliated and killed.

According to Father Martin, what is the single, driving motivation behind the entirety of Christ’s story?

Love.

Pi compares the 'swiftness' of Christianity to which Canadian city at rush hour?

Toronto.

How did Pi first encounter Islam in Pondicherry?

He met a baker, also named Satish Kumar, in the Muslim quarter.

How did the Sufi baker, Mr. Satish Kumar, describe the essence of Islam?

It is about 'the Beloved.'

What is a 'hafiz' in the Islamic tradition?

One who knows the Qur'an by heart.

Pi notes that his two most influential teachers share the same name; what is it?

Satish Kumar.

What occurred during the 'interfaith dialogue' on the Goubert Salai esplanade?

The pandit, priest, and imam argued over Pi's religious affiliation and demanded he choose one.

What was Pi’s response to the three religious leaders when they insisted he must choose a single religion?

"I just want to love God."

Ravi mocks Pi’s triple religious affiliation by calling him by which hybrid name?

Swami Jesus.

What two items did Pi request from his parents to support his new religious practices?

A Christian baptism and an Islamic prayer rug.

Why did the Patel family decide to leave India for Canada in the mid-1970s?

Political instability and anxiety caused by the 'Emergency' declared by Mrs. Gandhi.

What was the name of the cargo ship the Patels boarded to travel to Canada?

The Tsimtsum.

What animal did the two Mr. Kumars jointly admire at the Pondicherry Zoo?

The zebra.

What is the term for an animal taking a human or another animal to be one of its own kind?

Zoomorphism.

Who is Pi's wife, whom the 'fictional author' meets in Canada?

Meena Patel.

What are the names of Pi's two children?

Nikhil (Nick) and Usha.

According to the story, what was the clerical error that led to the tiger being named Richard Parker?

The names of the hunter and the tiger cub (Thirsty) were accidentally swapped on the shipping papers.

On what date did the Tsimtsum sink in the Pacific Ocean?

July 2nd, 1977.

Who were the four initial inhabitants of Pi's lifeboat in the 'animal' version of the story?

Pi, a zebra, a hyena, and an orang-utan (and later Richard Parker).

How did the hyena first behave on the lifeboat before it began killing?

It ran in frantic, anxious circles around the stern of the boat.

What was the name of the female orang-utan, and how did she reach the lifeboat?

Orange Juice; she floated to the boat on a huge raft of bananas.

In the animal story, what is the sequence of the hyena's kills on the lifeboat?

It ate the zebra's broken leg, killed the zebra, then killed Orange Juice.

What did Pi discover about the nature of the hyena's anatomy that he found 'absurd'?

He mentions the hyena is 'ugly beyond redemption' and noted its coarse, diseased-looking coat.

Why did Richard Parker not immediately kill the hyena or the zebra?

Pi suggests he was likely sedated by Santosh Patel and was suffering from severe seasickness.

What color is described as the 'color of survival' on the lifeboat?

Orange.

How many 'plans' did Pi devise to get rid of Richard Parker?

Six.

Why was 'Plan Number Six' (Waging a War of Attrition) considered a failure by Pi?

He realized Richard Parker would eventually surmount his fear of water or outlast Pi’s own resources.

What was the 'prusten' sound made by Richard Parker, and what did it signify?

A puff through the nose signifying friendliness and harmless intentions.

How did Pi eventually 'tame' Richard Parker and establish dominance?

By using a whistle and rocking the boat to induce seasickness, associating the whistle with discomfort.

What was the first 'sentient being' Pi ever killed, causing him deep guilt?

A flying fish.

How did Pi provide fresh water for himself and Richard Parker?

Using solar stills that transformed seawater into fresh water.

During his time at sea, Pi identifies 'despair' as a foe even more formidable than what?

A tiger.

What did Pi do with Richard Parker's feces to demonstrate his 'lordly right' of mastery?

He would fondle and sniff them while staring at the tiger and blowing a whistle.

What did Pi find in the pocket of his life jacket that allowed him to keep a diary?

A notebook and a ballpoint pen.

What happened when an oil tanker finally approached the lifeboat?

It nearly ran them over and failed to see them, disappearing into the distance.

Towards the end of their journey, both Pi and Richard Parker suffered from what physical affliction?

Blindness.

While blind, Pi encountered another castaway; what was this person's nationality?

French.

What was the fate of the blind Frenchman who attempted to board Pi's boat?

He was killed and eaten by Richard Parker.

What was the 'exceptional botanical discovery' Pi made in the middle of the Pacific?

A floating island made entirely of algae.

What animal lived in vast numbers on the algae island?

Meerkats.

Why did the algae island turn out to be 'carnivorous' at night?

The algae turned the island's ponds into acid that dissolved any animal in the water.

What did Pi find inside the 'fruit' of a tree on the algae island that convinced him to leave?

A human tooth.

Where did the lifeboat finally wash ashore?

The coast of Mexico.

How did Richard Parker leave Pi when they reached land?

He bounded into the jungle without looking back, leaving Pi 'unceremoniously.'

Who were the two officials from the Japanese Ministry of Transport who interviewed Pi?

Mr. Tomohiro Okamoto and Mr. Atsuro Chiba.

In the 'human' version of Pi's story, who corresponds to the zebra?

A beautiful young Taiwanese sailor with a broken leg.

In the 'human' version, who is represented by the hyena?

The French cook.

In the 'human' version, who is represented by the orang-utan?

Pi's mother (Gita Patel).

In the 'human' version, what was the cook's reason for amputating the sailor's leg?

He claimed it was to save his life, but he actually intended to use it as fishing bait.

How did Pi's mother die in the 'human' version of the story?

The cook killed her after a fight and threw her head to Pi.

What 'dry, yeastless factuality' did the Japanese officials initially seek?

The 'straight facts' about why the ship sank, without any 'invention' or animals.

When Pi asks the officials which story they prefer—the one with animals or the one without—which do they choose?

The story with animals.

What was the final conclusion in Mr. Okamoto's report regarding Pi's survival?

That his story was 'unparalleled in the history of shipwrecks' and he survived in the company of a tiger.

What was the name of the cargo ship owner?

Oika Shipping Company.

What is the motto of the Petit Seminaire school?

Nil magnum nisi bonum (No greatness without goodness).

How many days did Pi spend as a castaway at sea?

227 days.